The first thing he noticed was the smell.
It reminded him of burning cigars. He was certain he had never smelled them before, yet somehow it felt familiar.
Like something he'd lived with for years.
That, in itself, was strange.
The second thing he noticed was his body.
His arms were muscular. His chest was broad, the kind of build you'd expect from a trained soldier.
He felt strong and refreshed.
None of it made any sense.
He casually flexed his arm. His mind was still his own, but his body felt wrong.
Like he was wearing someone else's skin.
Curious, he looked around.
Morning light came in through a window. The room was clean, orderly, and beyond the glass he could hear the sound of ocean waves.
The ocean?
Then this wasn't the city.
And this definitely wasn't his apartment.
As his gaze wandered, it stopped on a wall.
There was a poster there, with a single word in thick, black letters written on it:
JUSTICE
A cold realization washed over him.
Unless he was hallucinating, he had taken over someone else's body—and their room.
He stood up, wanting to see himself properly.
A mirror stood off to the side. He stepped in front of it.
The man staring back at him was tall, with spiky white hair, a sharp jawline, and cold, hardened eyes.
It was a face that didn't belong to him—
But it did belong to someone he knew.
Smoker.
A character from One Piece.
It sounded absurd, but there was no denying it. The manly build. The scent of smoke. The ocean just outside the window. It all fit too perfectly.
He was Smoker.
There had been no system notifications, accidents, or rituals.
He'd gone to sleep—
And now he was here.
His fingers brushed his chest, then his arms again. The sensations were vivid and real.
This wasn't a hallucination.
He had truly become Smoker.
As he struggled to process the situation, a knock sounded at the door.
"Captain Smoker?" a soft voice called. "It's me, Tashigi."
He blinked at the name.
Tashigi. Smoker's loyal subordinate.
A Marine officer with self-esteem issues—and an obsession with famous swords.
'Why is she here?' he thought. 'This is troublesome. I don't have this body's memories.'
The situation was bad—but not unmanageable.
He might not have Smoker's memories, but he still had common sense.
Before opening the door, he glanced around the room for a Marine uniform and spotted a white coat hanging nearby.
For a moment, he simply stared at it.
The word _Justice_ printed across the back felt uncomfortable.
Unlike the real Smoker, justice had never been something he lived for. It had never been his code.
Without overthinking it, he grabbed the coat and slipped it over his bare chest, wearing it the way Smoker always had.
Then he opened the door.
Tashigi stood there holding a clipboard. Her glasses were crooked, and her hair looked messy, as if she hadn't stopped moving all morning.
"Good morning, sir. I brought the dock reports," she said quickly.
"Also, there's some trouble with the civilians. Some tax officers are collecting money without orders."
He took the clipboard from her and skimmed through the papers with clear disinterest.
Noticing this, Tashigi frowned slightly.
"Are you okay, sir?" she asked. "You seem… a little different today."
He met her gaze and offered a small smile.
"Do I usually yell first thing in the morning or something?"
She blinked. "No! I mean— you're just usually more serious."
He shrugged lightly. "Didn't sleep well."
Tashigi nodded quickly. "Right. Okay. I'll come back later, sir."
She turned and walked down the hallway, quietly muttering something to herself.
He closed the door and looked back down at the reports, detailing officials abusing their power for profit.
The original Smoker hadn't just chased pirates. He'd also kept an eye on corrupt officials—patching cracks in the system where he could.
But that didn't mean _he_ had to continue Smoker's mission.
He sat back on the bed and exhaled slowly.
A quiet question surfaced in his mind.
_Justice isn't my goal. So what should I do?_
In his old world, he'd been nobody. A boring job. A boring life.
He'd always dreamed of something more—something bigger. An epic adventure.
Now, he had the chance.
He could travel somewhere nice. Hunt secret treasures. Maybe fight pirates.
With his identity as a Marine, he could explore the world simply because he wanted to—and get paid for it.
Maybe he'd still do his job and help people along the way.
Or maybe he wouldn't.
Fixing the world wasn't his responsibility anymore. Luffy could handle that.
He wanted to stay far away from that, wannabe chosen one and enjoy this incredible world for himself.
A smile spread across his face.
This world was filled with unique places just waiting to be explored.
And it was all his to enjoy.
The door creaked open again.
"Sorry, sir, one more thing," Tashigi said, peeking inside. "About the west docks."
"That new guy—Hotaru. He's loud and kind of rude. Do you want to demote him?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Is he corrupt or anything?"
Tashigi hesitated. "No… I think he's just rude."
He chuckled. "Then let him be. He'll stop being rude after he pisses off the wrong person."
She smiled faintly. "Alright. I'll check back in later."
Once the door closed, he walked over to the window.
The sea sparkled beneath the morning sun.
Somewhere out there, a great adventure was waiting for him.
It was just him, the open sea, and whatever lay beyond it.
Smoker clenched his fist in anticipation—
And thick, violent smoke erupted from his body.